Method of locating oil deposits



Patented Dec. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I "2,266,556 Y METHOD or LOCATING on. DEPOSITS Walter A. Kelly, Paterson; N.v 1. Application August :1, 1938, Serial N6. 221,779

Claims.

This invention relates to a method of locating oil and more particularly to a method of ascertaining possible fields for exploitation.

In many areas it is known that oil exists below the surface of the ground but experience hastaught that it is important to sink a well at the spot where the oil is nearest to the surface or where the rock, shale, or other constituents ofthe earth's crust are more easily penetrated. It is a well-known fact that wherever petroleum is found certain natural gases are likewise found and it is believed that these gases are formed by the same reactions which are responsible for the formation of liquid petroleum.

The gases attendant deposits of petroleum'have a tendency to rise I upwardly and especially where there is great pressure will seep through the fissures of rock and earth and gradually work themselves upward toward the surface of the earth. As these gases work their way through the strata of the earth-they are naturally disparsed and, in most cases, are not discernible by the human senses upon reaching the surface of the earth.

Fig. 1 indicates a cross-section of a typical portion of the earth's strata;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a device adopted to be used with my method;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion thereof;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the same portion showing its purposes;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a'modiiled form of the device.

Fig. 1 shows a. portion of the earth's surface consisting of thetop surface I 0, the various layers of difierent texture ll, l2, it, it, IS, and I6. Atypical cavity H, is also illustrated.

In the use of my method I propose to sink false wells similar to those shown at It. i9, 20 and 26. These wells may be sunk 100 or 200 feet into the earths surface and a cylinder 22 dropped therein by means of. the cable 23 or other suitable '40 such as activated charcoal. Cylinder 22 comprises in addition to the chamber 24 a bell 25 which is provided with a hook 26 for the purpose of receiving a cable. The lower end of the bell 25 is internally threaded at 2? and is adopted to receive a Joining member 28. Joining member 28 consists of an externally threaded member having a collar 29 adapted ,to fit snugly against the lower end of the bell 25 and the upper end of the chamber 24. The upper end of the chamber 24 is likewise internally threaded at 3B and adopted to engage the thread 3! to the lower portion of the joining member 28. Inserted in the center of the joiningmember 28 is a porous screen 32. 1

v'Ihe lower end of the chamber 24 is likewise externally threaded at 33 and acap 35 is provided to close the lower end. A porous screen 35 is inserted in the chamber 2% at 36.

I found that while many solid absorbents may be used very satisfactory results may be obtained by the use of activated carbon or charcoal and that the eiilciency of the carbon or charcoal is increased when it is saturated by steam immediately before use. I accordingly provide a vessel 3?, the top of which 38 is provided with internal threads 39 adapted to engage the thread 33.

In operation false wells 68, 89, 2c, M are sunk,

and the cylinder 22 is operated by removing the bell 25 from the joining member as. ber 24 is filled with chemically pure carbon or charcoal 40, the cap 36 removed, and the chamber screwed on the vessel Bl. Water M has previously been placed in the vessel and the unit placed over a burner 42, as shown in Fig. 4.. When the steam appears from the top of the chamber 34 through the screen 32 the charcoal will be sumciently saturated. The chamber 26 is removed from the vessel 237i and the cap 3% replaced. The bell 25 is likewise put in place and just before cylinder 22 is dropped into the well the cap 36 is removed. Any gases which have seeped through the strata of the earth into the false well 26 will enter the chamber 245 through the screen 35 and be absorbed by the activated charcoal. In the event that the false well 2@ contains water these gases will be driven through the absorbent material and into the bell 25. It is for the purpose of avoiding the loss of these gases means. The conceptive idea'behind my inventhat the hell 2! is provided. In the event of The charn- 'threads 50 or may be welded in place.

course that no water is found the bell 25 merely serves as a handle tor the chamber 24 and to prevent the escape of gas which has passed through the absorbent material.

After the cylinder 22 has been left in the well for a period of time it is withdrawn and the cap 34 immediately replaced. In the event that water has been encountered the cylinder is then inverted, the water will flow into the bell 25 and force the gases back into the absorbent material 50. The chamber 24 may then be detached from the bell 25 and another cap similar to 34 placed on the upper end of the chamber. The chamber is taken to a laboratory for the purpose of analysis. It is advisable that the bell 25 have a capacity of approximately four times chamber 25 since I have found gas in a free state will occupy more room than when held in the absorbent material. It will be appreciated that by the use of this method and cylinder it is possible to locate a point where it is most advisable to sink a regular well. Where a number of false wells are sunk the one which is shown by this method to contain the greater amount of gas will be nearest to the deposit.

In the modification shown'in Fig. '5 cylinder 50' is provided with three sections, the upper section i contains an electrically driven pump 52 to which current is provided by the wire 53 extending down the cable 23. A pipe 54 runs from the pump 52 through the top or cap 55 into the open shaft. The cap 55 is supplied at the top with a chamber 5! by screwing'the same thereon, as shown in Fig. 5 or by any suitable means. Another pipe 56 extends from the pump through the floor 51 of the chamber 5| into the chamber 58.

It is essential that the floor 51 be airtight. The fioor may consist of a joining member shown in Fig. 5, fastened to the chamber 5! by the screw threads 59 and to the chamber 58 by the screw Chamber 58 is air and watertight and has no openings therein except through pipe 56 and a U-shaped pipe M which passes through a plate 62 in the floor thereto into a perforated or porous section 63 of the cylinder 50. A floor 64 likewise porous is provided to prevent clogging with mud or earth. Chamber 58 is adapted to engage a liquid solvent 65 such as ethyl alcohol and is provided with a plug 66 for removal or insertion of the liquid solvent.

When the cylinder is dropped in the false well the pump 52 is started, the pump 52 pumps the air out of the chamber 58 and up the shaft.

'lhis causes a suction through the pipe BI and the gases accumulated in the false well will pass through the perforated well 53 and floor 64 of the bottom of the cylinder 50 up through the pipe 6! where they will be discharged in the liquid absorbent 65. Pebbles or small marbles 51 are pro vided in the bottom of the chamber in order to break air bubbles. The U-shaped pipe acts as a trap and prevents the leakage of the liquid absorbent 55.

While type of cylinder is highly efficient in a dry well it will be appreciated that the type first described and shown in Fig. 2 is more suitable -for use where water or other liquid is found in the well. When the cylinder 50 has been operated in the well for a suificlent period it may be withdrawn and either sent as a whole to the laboratory or the plug 65 removed and the liquid absorbent drawn ofi and sent for analysis.

It will be appreciated that while I have shown two types of cylinder for uses with my method that several other types maybe employed and variations thereof will not depart from my conceptive idea.

I claim:

1. A method of locating oil deposits which consists in sinking a plurality of false wells, dropping containers of gas absorbing material within said wells, in such a manner as to expose the adsorbent material to the gases in said wells, the removing of said containers from said wells after a predetermined time, and making a com- -parative analysis of the gas absorbed in each well.

2. A method of geochemical oil prospecting comprising sinking a bore, disposing a container having ,an adsorbent for hydro-carbon gases therein in such relation to' said bore that the gases in said bore have access to the adsorbent, removing said container and analyzing the gases adsorbed for the presence of significant gases.

3. A method of geochemical oil prospecting comprising sinking a bore, disposing a container having activated carbon therein in such relation to said bore that the gases in said bore have access to said activated carbon, removing said container and analyzing the gases adsorbed thereby for the presence of significant gases.

4. A method of locating oil deposits which consists in sinking a plurality of false wells, activating carbon in cylinders by passing steam therethrough, placing one of said cylinders containing said activated carbon in each of said wells for a predetermined period, withdrawing said cylinders, and analyzing the gas absorbed by said activated' carbon in each of said cylinders.

5. A method of geochemical oil prospecting comprising sinking a bore, disposing carbon in a container having an open bottom, activating said carbon by the passage of steam through said carbon, placing said container in said bore in such a position that the gases in said bore have access to the carbon, removing said container, and analyzing the gases absorbed for the presence of significant gases.

WALTER A. KELLY.

Disclaimer 2,266,556.Walter A. Kelly, Paterson, N. J. METHOD OF Patent dated Dec. 16, 1941. Disclaimer filed Oct. 2

Magnolia Petroleum Company.

d 5 in said specification.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 2, 3, an

[Ofiicial Gazette December 16, 1947 .1

LOCATING OIL DEPOSITS. 7, 1947, by the assignee, 

